KES Announced Finalist for Independent School of the Year (South) 2025
Big Year Ahead: KES Shortlisted for Top Award and Launches Boundless Futures Vision
King Edward VI School (KES), Southampton, has started the autumn term with a bang, being named a Finalist for Regional Independent School of the Year (South) in the 2025 Independent Schools of the Year Awards.
This recognition comes at a pivotal moment for the school, which this week launched its Boundless Futures campaign – the result of a year-long project involving pupils from age 2 right through to 18, alongside parents, alumni (Old Edwardians) and staff, to redefine what it means to be part of the 2–18 KES community today.
At the heart of Boundless Futures is a simple but powerful belief: every child’s future should be boundless, with the confidence to define success for themselves. The campaign brings this vision to life through 12 stories from across the KES community, each illustrating how the KES learning philosophy and redefined values are lived and experienced every day – in the classroom, through co-curricular opportunities, and in life beyond school.
The campaign was unveiled this week with the release of a special trailer, shared on social media and in the school’s very own newspaper posted to all parents over the summer break, created to showcase the voices and stories of its community. Over the next 12 months, each of the 12 stories will be released individually, celebrating the people and values that make KES such a distinctive place of learning.
Head of School Neal Parker said:
“To be recognised as a finalist at a national level is a tremendous achievement and a reflection of everything our KES community stands for. Boundless Futures captures the spirit of KES – a place where pupils are encouraged to be ambitious, supported to be kind and resilient, and inspired to see their futures without limits. We are proud to be the leading co-educational day school in Hampshire, but even more proud of the young people who make this school what it is.”
The award shortlisting and campaign launch come amid an exciting period for KES, following the recent announcement of a merger with Prince’s Mead in Winchester and the pending launch of a new bursary campaign to extend access to a KES education this October.
Families considering KES are warmly invited to the Open Evening on Thursday 3rd October, where they will be able to pick up a copy of the new school newspaper and hear more about what this exciting school in the heart of Southampton has to offer.
